Queen's House
I believe that one of the most interesting buildings in Greenwich is the Queen’s House. It’s not only famous for its former occupants and its art collection, but also for its importance architecturally.
The Building
Built between 1616 and 1635 the famed architect, Inigo Jones, was commissioned to design the Queen’s House by King James I’s wife, Anne of Denmark. The land was supposedly a gift from the king to apologise for swearing in front of her after she had accidentally killed one of his favourite dogs during a hunt.
Sadly, Anne never lived to see Jones’ modern building, which is strongly based on the symmetry, perspective and values of the formal classical temple architecture of Ancient Greece and Rome. Jones was inspired by the latest European tastes, and the building became one of the first true Palladian buildings in England. Palladian architecture is a European style of architecture derived from and inspired by the designs of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio. Work stopped when Anne died and resumed in 1629 when the house was given to the Queen Consort Henrietta Maria by King Charles I.
The house recently underwent a 14-month restoration project in early 2015, reopening late the following year. It is now part of five buildings that belong to the National Maritime Museum and is used to display parts of their substantial collection of maritime paintings and portraits.
The Great Hall
When I visited with Celery, parts of the house were closed as they were under preparation for a wedding and we were only able to see the top floor and its artwork. What really captured me was the intricate gold leaf design on the ceiling, especially when the leaves reflected the sun. Created by 2016 Turner Prize winner Richard Wright, he would have been the first artist to have worked on the ceiling of the Great Hall since the Florentine artist Orazio Gentileschi created a series of nine paintings for it in 1639. Wright’s work was his response to the geometry and beauty of the House. The use of gold leaf on such a grand scale reintroduces the kind of royal magnificence that was characteristic of the House as a royal villa. From the top floor you can look down onto the black and white marbled flooring. I wonder if it is kept free of any exhibitions when there aren’t weddings to prepare for.
The Art Collection
The Queen’s House is famous for its extraordinary art collection, including works by Great Masters such as Gainsborough, Reynolds, Turner and Hogarth. I must admit I was completely blown away by the vastness of the collection and the talent that was displayed there. Many of the artworks related to the Navy in some form or another but there were a few that weren’t, and it was those that really caught my eye. Surprisingly they were all made by female artists.
“For the face I grant I might well blush to offer, but the mind I shall never be ashamed to present” - Elizabeth I in a letter to her brother Edward VI
In the corner of a room, with a blood-red background, were seven black frames that each held a different person’s portrait. This display was created by Bettina Von Zwhel as part of a project in response to the Armada portrait of Elizabeth I, celebrating the potential of contemporary young women who were all born at the start of the millennium. When Elizabeth I wrote the quote above, aged 14, no one anticipated that she would become one of the most iconic leaders in history, and just like her the women portrayed are making decisions about their futures, either in the workplace or in education as they enter their final year of school. Von Zwehl’s portraits are simple, and show the women deep in thought. Using film to capture the images, she set the subjects against a renaissance blue background.
The Labours of Herakles by Marian Maguire
Another piece that caught my eye because it was so different in style was the artwork entitled ‘The Labours of Herakles’, created by New Zealander Marian Maguire, who drew on her country’s history, characters from classical antiquity, and 19th century illustration techniques, to transport the ancient Greek hero Herakles (Hercules) through space and time to claim the lands and peoples on behalf of the 19th century European colonists. Maguire mixes colonial prints with the designs of Maori wood carvings and Greek black figure pottery to create poignant and tense feelings, reminding viewers of the legacies of colonialism that are still felt today.
Finally, it was the work of Susan Derges which I could have stared at for the rest of the day. It was also inspired by the Armada Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I. Derges has an innovative approach to making photograms or camera-less images of water. In her body of work ‘Moral Moon’ she has used the Moon to represent both metamorphosing qualities and internal psychological states. Her process of using water and its continuous movement really highlights the relationship between technology and nature, as she places photographic paper in the water and uses a torch and moonlight as physical exposure. Elizabeth I was often associated with the Moon, and Derges’ work is inspired by the vessels in the Armada Portrait and their fragility, but to me they are dreamy shadows across the moonlit water.
A house of many roles
Though this building started life as a royal villa, it has changed roles many times since its birth in the 17th century. From artist’s studio to Royal Hospital for Seamen at Greenwich, to official home of Greenwich Park’s ranger, it has now finally become an art gallery as part of the National Maritime Museum in 1934. This beautiful building is free to visit and is a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours in Greenwich. I could definitely enjoy a whole day here in the presence of some great artists.
